Faces of War

News, notes, and narratives documenting my research and writing experiences as a columnist in the "Civil War News," the author of "Faces of the Civil War" and "Faces of the Confederacy," and as a collector of Civil War photography.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

An Acre at Malvern Hill

When the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) call to action to help save 178 acres of Malvern Hill came in the mail the other day, my thoughts went to three captains that I've researched whose lives were touched by the fighting during this last engagement of the Seven Days' Battles.

George Pierce of the Tenth Massachusetts Infantry, who suffered a gunshot wound in the right arm in the fighting there on July 1, 1862. Dennis Moore of the Sixty-first New York Infantry, struck by an artillery shell in his right calf at nearby Nelson's Farm on June 30, 1862. A surgeon amputated Moore's damaged leg below the knee on the battlefield, and he lay there the next day as the battle raged at Malvern Hill. Motier Norton of the Eighteenth New York Infantry, who fell ill with typhoid fever shortly after the battle. Exposure to the rigors of campaigning in the field compromised his health and forced him to resign his commission. Each of these men are profiled in Faces of the Civil War: An Album of Union Soldiers and Their Stories.

It was with these veterans in mind that I wrote a check to save an acre of Malvern Hill. And to preserve the land that these three captains and tens of thousands of other soldiers fought over. And for future generations of men and women, boys and girls, who might someday walk across a pristine plot of ground in Virginia and wonder about the soldiers who happened on that spot a long, long time ago.

Friday, October 31, 2008

CWPT and Education

Had lunch today with Dave Wiemer, a development associate at the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT). We swapped stories about our common interest and related topics. Of particular interest to me is the CWPT's commitment to education, evident in their History Center and Classroom effort. I gave Dave a copy of Union Faces, and also described to him the idea of using cartes de visite in schools (See related post). In short, a deck of cards — 30 soldier cartes de visite with the name of the soldier for the students, and 30 cards with their fate, either read or distributed by the teacher at the end of the lesson. He was quite enthusiastic, and I hope to pursue this soon.

Dave is a great guy! Easygoing and friendly, he is an excellent ambassador for the CWPT.

About Me

Name: Ron Coddington

Location: Arlington, Va., United States

I am currently searching for original, wartime photographs of African American soldiers in uniform who served in the Civil War. These images, and the life stories of each subject, will be published in my next book. If you are descended from a soldier, or are a collector or museum professional in possession of photographs that meet my criteria, please contact me.
I have been collecting Civil War cartes de visite, a photographic format about the size of a modern baseball card, since my teen years. In 2000, I began researching identified soldiers in my collection and was inspired by their stories. The following year I began writing a column in the "Civil War News." I am the author of two books, both published by The Johns Hopkins University Press: "Faces of the Civil War" (2004) and "Faces of the Confederacy" (2008). I am a career visual journalist, and currently USA TODAY's art director. Born in New Jersey, I am a 1985 University of Georgia graduate. My wife, Anne, and I are proud parents of two pugs, Missy and Bella.